Marc Marquez heads to Mugello aiming to become Ducati’s latest MotoGP race winner, a formidable challenge in the home turf of riders like Francesco Bagnaia. Given his recent successes at Mugello, they consider the reigning MotoGP champion, Bagnaia, the pre-race favorite.
Should Marquez clinch a victory, he will become Ducati’s 93rd race winner in MotoGP, matching his bike number, #93. Other Ducati riders, such as Casey Stoner, Bagnaia, Marco Bezzecchi, and series leader Jorge Martin, have all won races corresponding to their bike numbers, providing Marquez with additional motivation.
“The last races have been super good in terms of race pace,” Marquez said ahead of the weekend. “I was fast, I was consistent, and this made the difference to make the comeback. But I still need to understand a bit more to know what I need to do for the time attack.”
Marquez noted the contrast between his experience with Honda and Ducati. “With Honda, I was struggling but one lap with a slipstream, or something like this, I was able to be faster. But with this bike, I still feel much better when I’m alone. It’s there where I need to find the way. We have a few ideas with the team, I need to work a bit on my riding style.”
Marquez Discusses Future Plans
News from Italy on Thursday indicated that Jorge Martin is likely to become Bagnaia’s teammate in 2025, potentially impacting Marquez’s plans to become a factory rider with Ducati.
“We have had some conversations, interesting conversations, and the people who need to know what and where I will be comfortable already know,” Marquez revealed. “I’m very clever with my ideas and with what I can do. All I can do is try to be fast on the racetrack because then I will have more options.”
Marquez expressed confidence in his options, stating, “I have three different scenarios that I feel very comfortable with. It’s not like I have one option.”
Regarding the prospect of joining Pramac with a full factory Ducati bike, Marquez quickly dismissed this possibility. “Because it is not an option. I will not move from one satellite team to another one,” he clarified.
Reflecting on his evolving situation, Marquez explained, “Last year I was looking for something to try and enjoy, to try and get feedback and confidence to again be competitive. Now, step-by-step I am more competitive. But if you want to fight for the championship, it is possible to do it with the ’23 bike like last year. But if you want to fight for the championship. You need more facilities like a factory team with the latest version of the bike. Why? Because it will be easier to fight with the top guys.”
Leave a Reply